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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 29 November 2020
29 Nov 2020, 04:27 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 29 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Almost 1,600 new coronavirus cases confirmed as 43 persons die

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,591 new cases of coronavirus in 6,938 tests on Friday and 43 died. There were 1,258 persons with Covid-19 in hospital compared to 1,324 the day before, of which 194 were intensive care, down from 206. The figures indicate a test positivity rate of just under 23%, down over a percentage point on the day before. Slovenia has so far recorded 1,336 Covid-19 deaths. The number of positive tests since the start of the epidemic currently stands at 74,265.

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PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

And that's it - Saturday was a slow news day in Slovenia

book cover cook eat slovenia.jpg

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

 

Mitatetaidukushi Torikeshitai, (1878)
28 Nov 2020, 04:01 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 28 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Covid-19 hospitalisations at new high, 1,609 new infections

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 1,609 new coronavirus cases for Thursday and 48 more fatalities as the number of Covid-19 patients requiring hospital treatment reached a new high of 1,324, even as the number of intensive care patients dropped to 206. Government data show the latest cases come from 6,587 tests, meaning the positivity rate was 24.4%, up slightly from 23.9% the day before but down from over 27% a week ago. The death toll among patients with Covid-19 has risen to 1,293.

Many dilemmas about rapid tests at companies

LJUBLJANA - After a recent survey by the National Institute of Public Health showed one in four infected likely contracted coronavirus at work, the idea to introduce rapid antigen tests at companies is gaining traction. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economy Ministry are among those in favour, but there are still a number of dilemmas to be resolved, not least who should bear the cost. Some companies, like Chinese-owned Gorenje, are already testing their staff, while others are reserved, also because they have not had many infections so far.

hcork bags slovenia gifts.jpg

PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

Health Ministry says care homes, healthcare staff among first to get vaccine

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry announced that a strategy for vaccination against Covid-19 would be ready within three weeks. Presenting some outlines, it said the plan was to first provide vaccination in care homes, for those above 60 with chronic conditions, and for staff in healthcare and critical infrastructure. The ministry said the strategy would be flexible, being upgraded with each new certified vaccine. It will be divided into three sub-segments, with conditions of distribution, storage and vaccine preparation differing for each of the vaccine platforms.

FM calls for even greater cooperation in the Mediterranean

LJUBLJANA - Taking part in a virtual ministerial of the Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean on Friday, Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed support for further strengthening of relations and cooperation as part of the alliance, and for greater security, stability and development of the Mediterranean region. Logar called for the strengthening of political dialogue and closer cooperation of member states of the Union for the Mediterranean when it comes to social, cultural and human ties, the Foreign Ministry said.

Slovenian, Icelandic FMs for strong transatlantic cooperation

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson discussed a number of topics via a video call on Friday, supporting a strong and united EU, and strong transatlantic ties. Views on priorities during Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021 were also in the focus, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

Parliament declares referendum on defence investment inadmissible

LJUBLJANA - Responding to an ongoing opposition Left and SocDems-led referendum initiative against an act envisaging EUR 780 million in additional defence spending in 2021-2026, parliament adopted in a 51:33 vote a decree that declares such a referendum inadmissible. The Left said it would turn to the Constitutional Court. The Left's leader Luka Mesec suggested this was a dangerous precedent where anti-referendum provisions inserted in the referendum act during the epidemic to prevent referenda on coronacrisis legislation were being used outside this framework.

Report finds systemic lack of transparency in political decisions

LJUBLJANA - Transparency International Slovenia issued a report on political integrity in Slovenia on Thursday that points to systemic shortcomings related to the transparency of decisions affecting the public. In response, the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption expressed concern in particular over the high number of decisions adopted in emergency procedure. Also frequent are violations of the prescribed 30 to 60-day deadline for consultation or public presentation, the commission said.

Friday anti-govt protesters hit streets, this time in cars

Ljubljana - After a break of a few weeks, the Friday anti-government protesters hit the streets of Ljubljana again, this time in cars and not on bicycles as usual, as public gatherings are banned under a government anti-coronavirus decree. The protesters were circling the streets around the National Assembly building, and the police have beefed up security in the area, the public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

Luka Koper's operating profit down 44% in first nine months

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact the global flow of goods in the third quarter of the year, affecting the nine-month results of Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, which saw its sales revenue drop by 11% year-on-year to EUR 155 and operating profit by 44% to EUR 22 million. This is a result of the Koper port recording a 16% drop in transshipment in the January-September period year-on-year, Luka Koper said.

State secures Ankaran municipality plots for Koper port development

ANKARAN/LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec and Ankaran Mayor Gregor Strmčnik signed on Friday a set of contracts that grant the state access to around 120,000 square metres of land slated for the development of the Koper port. Commenting on the EUR 9.3 million deal with Koper's neighbouring municipality, Vrtovec said that after years of negotiations a breakthrough had been achieved on the path to the long-term development of the state-controlled Koper port.

After slump Unior revenue picking up

ZREČE - The state-owned tool maker and automotive supplier Unior saw its group sales revenue drop by about 20% year-on-year to EUR 150 million in the first three quarters. However, sales in September were up 3.6% y/y. Due to a negative impact of the pandemic and revaluation of real estate in Maribor, the group posted a loss of EUR 4.9 million. However, the property sale will allow it to reduce debt to banks by a further EUR 8.5 million, after it had already lowered it by EUR 4.1 million.

Requests for constitutional review of Sunday shop ban incoming

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has so far received three initiatives to review the amendment to the retail act that stipulates that almost all shops must be closed on Sunday, one of them having been filed by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS). The website of Slovenia's top court shows that three initiatives have been filed against the measure which entered into force in late October after the National Assembly passed the relevant changes in late September.

Unemployment rate at 5.1% in Q3

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's unemployment rate in the third quarter stood at 5.1%, which is on par with the second quarter and 0.4 percentage points more than in the same period last year, data from the Statistics Office show. The employment rate was 54.9%, a 0.5 percentage points increase on the second quarter and 0.4 percentage points down year-on-year. Among employed persons, the number of self-employed persons decreased by 12% year-on-year.

First case of plasma treatment for Covid-19 patient in Slovenia a success

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Blood Transfusion Centre confirmed that it issued the first two units of plasma for the treatment of a Covid-19 patient a few days ago. The centre was later informed by UKC Ljubljana's clinic for infectious diseases that the condition of the patient, who had developed pneumonia as part of Covid-19, had improved after the plasma treatment.

Slovenia's Christmas tree on its way to the Vatican

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will this year provide a Christmas tree that will be put up in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, in what the government considers a major opportunity for promotion ahead of several important events and anniversaries in 2021. "The tree is 75 years old, weighs seven tonnes, was cut on Monday and is already on the way to the Vatican," Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Jože Podgoršek told the press

Slovenian gets Austrian award for Holocaust remembrance

VIENNA, Austria - The Austrian Service Abroad has conferred this year's Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award to Slovenian Dušan Stefančič for his contribution to preserving the remembrance of the Holocaust, the Austrian press agency APA reported. The 93-year-old former president of the International Mauthausen Committee and president of the Slovenian Mauthausen Committee survived six Nazi concentration camps, including Dachau, Mauthausen and Gusen.

Journalist Jožica Grgič wins lifetime achievement award

Ljubljana - Newspaper Delo journalist Jožica Grgič won the lifetime achievement award given out annually by the Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) in what was the final event of its five-day Naprej/Forward media festival. The jury said that for Grgič, facts were more sacred than the Pope and that she understood them in a very broad context. In her 40-year career, which she started as a student at Delo's sports desk, Grgič has become one of the leading Slovenian journalists.

Videmšek's Plan B declared Book of the Year

LJUBLJANA - Reporter Boštjan Videmšek's book about climate change, Plan B, which he made together with photographer Matjaž Krivic, was declared the 2020 Book of the Year at the Slovenian Book Fair. Plan B took the pair around the globe to bring stories of unusual visionaries who are each in their own right fighting against the climate crisis.

Researchers Night moves online

LJUBLJANA - The European Researchers' Night - Humanities Rock! moved to the virtual realm this year due to Covid-19. For a third year in a row researchers of twelve University of Ljubljana faculties and academies are holding events, workshops, debates and video presentations. Running under the slogan Sciences about People, Sciences for People, the event presents scientific efforts and achievements in a bid to boost interest in research careers.

First Hollywood film by Slovenian director on Amazon Prime

LOS ANGELES, US - Life in a Year, a new film by Slovenian director Mitja Okorn starring Cara Delevingne and Jaden Smith, starts streaming on Amazon Prime today. Okorn, who has made a name for himself in Poland, told the news web portal Backstage that he had always wished to direct a Hollywood film. The film reflects on the meaning of true love, with Delevingne starring as a spirited young woman who only has one more year to live. Smith is the young man who falls in love with her.

Holiday spirit descends upon Slovenian cities

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR/CELJE - Christmas light displays were turned on in a number of Slovenian cities and towns. The epidemiological situation permitting, scaled-down on-site events are planned in some cities in December, however, most will be held online. A leisurely stroll through the festively illuminated streets is another way to get into the holiday mood though. The Christmas lights of Ljubljana were switched on today without a mass event celebrating the occasion.

book cover cook eat slovenia.jpg

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

 

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 27 November 2020
27 Nov 2020, 04:09 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 27 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Lockdown restrictions extended

LJUBLJANA - The government extended by a week all of the main lockdown measures, including the ban on gatherings, in-class schooling, movement between municipalities and the 9pm-6am curfew. Public transport will remain suspended for two more weeks and the current mask wearing regime, which includes masks outdoors, was extended by a fortnight as well. Shops selling non-essential goods, cultural institutions, and bars and restaurants remain closed as well.

1,767 new coronavirus infections confirmed, 46 people die

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,767 new coronavirus infections from 7,391 tests on Wednesday as 46 people died while the number of hospitalised patients rose by five to 1,302 and that of patients in intensive care by 13 to 215. The share of positive tests stood at 23.9%, compared to 27.6% on Tuesday. This share has been relatively flat for roughly a month and so has the curve of daily new cases, albeit with occasional fluctuations. The total death toll so far is 1,245.

hcork bags slovenia gifts.jpg

PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

School marking cut as hope for return to school in December

LJUBLJANA - As schooling continues remotely, Education Minister Simona Kustec decreed merging what are now two school assessment periods into one, as a result of which pupils will get fewer marks. Moreover, primary schools are advised t wait with assessments until pupils return to school. In its circuclar to schools, the Education Ministry said that "if everyone makes the effort and we improve the epidemiologic situation in Slovenia" return of the youngest pupils could start from 7 December.

Coalition partners review government projects

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The four ruling coalition parties reviewed the implementation of the coalition agreement and discussed further steps as they met at Brdu pri Kranju. Details were sketchy but statements after the meeting suggest there are no major differences between the partners, while they agreed some projects needed to be stepped up. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar briefed them on the coronavirus situation, explaining why measures to contain the epidemic could not be lifted just yet.

Another attempt to give soldiers police powers fails

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee failed to muster the needed two-thirds majority to endorse a government proposal to give soldiers police powers to help secure the border against illegal migration. This is the second attempt of the Janez Janša government to activate Article 37.a of the defence law after the first one was also rejected at committee level in April. This was MPs from the four left-leaning opposition parties voted against the proposal.

Over 28,000 support defence investment referendum

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left and Social Democrats (SD) filed more than 28,000 signatures to the National Assembly in support of a referendum on EUR 780 million in additional defence spending planned for 2021-2026, which is more than enough to start a referendum procedure. Now they will seek to collect 40,000 verified signatures to call a referendum. The Defence Ministry said referenda on on defence acts were not admissible under the constitution. If the National Assembly endorses this view, the Left plans to take the law to the Constitutional Court.

Slovenia supports Southern Neighbourhood reform based on dialogue

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers and the Southern Neighbourhood, which focussed on the future of this partnership. He backed the planned reform which would be based on dialogue with southern partners and result in concrete goals in EU-Southern Neighbours relations. These are securing stability and security in the region, sustainable development and economic growth, efficient migration management and the fight against terrorism, as well as the rule of law and human rights.

Govt to sign memorandum on Ljubljana Passenger Terminal

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with all key stakeholders of the Ljubljana Passenger Terminal, a public-private project that will include Mendota Invest, a company affiliated with Hungarian bank OTP. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said construction was to begin in 2022 with the entire investment valued at about EUR 350 million. Apart from an upgrade of the Ljubljana central train and coach stations it will also involve a multi-purpose commercial complex.

Local communities to get EUR 6.5m to partly offset epidemic cost

LJUBLJANA - The government allocated EUR 6.5 million to municipalities to partly cover the costs caused by the epidemic. A municipality will receive EUR 30,000 on average. The funds, meant to reimburse some of the costs prompted by protection, rescue and aid efforts, will be secured via a special budget provision set aside for Covid-related purposes. Supporting local communities is key to ensuring an effective response to the epidemic, said Defence Minister Matej Tonin.

Tonin re-elected NSi leader

LJUBLJANA - Matej Tonin was re-elected leader of New Slovenia (NSi) for two more years as the multi-day party congress came to a close. He won nearly 96% of the vote cast by mail. Tonin, the only candidate for the post, thanked the membership for their trust, saying he was proud of the NSi, a mature party that knew how to close ranks in critical moments. Tonin took over in January 2018 from Ljudmila Novak, who resigned after serving as party leader for a decade.

Mercator reports EUR 69m loss for Jan-Sep

LJUBLJANA - The retail group Mercator posted a net loss of EUR 69m in the first nine months as sales revenue rose by 2.1% year-on-year to EUR 1.6 billion. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation remained flat at EUR 126.3 million. The retailer saw a net profit of EUR 6.2 million in the same period last year, the loss this year being a result of a revaluation of the group's real estate carried out at the end of June, the core company said in a report.

Gorenje expanding workforce

VELENJE - Gorenje, the Chinese-owned household appliances maker, has hired around 800 extra staff since mid-August to meet an increase in orders, and is planning to open 300 more jobs by the end of the year. The company said part of the expansion was to replace existing staff who are being moved to a facility manufacturing TV sets, to be launched in January. The company said the newly employed are not agency workers. Hisense Europe companies in Slovenia currently employ 5,800 workers.

YSK posts record-breaking results in Slovenia

AARHUS, Denmark - JYSK, the Danish home goods retail chain, reported record-breaking results in Slovenia in the financial year that ended in August despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales revenue was up by 6.6% to EUR 38.6 million, and operating profit rose by more than 20%. The groups's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in Slovenia increased by 22% to top EUR 5.9m, despite shopping moving online during the spring epidemic.

Air quality poorer this autumn

LJUBLJANA - The Environment Agency has detected more PM10 particulates and more nitrogen oxides in the air in October and November than in the same period last year. The situation is the worst in valleys and basins, where fog lingers for the most part of the day and the concentration of emissions has not been reduced by wind or rain. Last year, October and November were very rainy, so the level of air pollution was lower and there had been few temperature inversions.

Average Slovenian threw away almost 70 kilos of food last year

LJUBLJANA - A Slovenian resident discarded some 1.3 kilos of food on average per week in 2019 or 67 kilos in the entire year, the Statistics Office data show. Almost 40% of food waste or some 26 kilos was edible. Households threw away most food in 2019, half of the entire amount or almost 69,900 tonnes. Almost a third of last year's food waste was generated by pubs and restaurants and other venues where food is served, such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals and care homes.

National Museum gets new director

LJUBLJANA - Pavel Car was appointed new director of the National Museum of Slovenia, succeeding Barbara Ravnik, who had the support of the museum for another term. Car was selected among seven applicants in an open call by Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti. The ministry told the STA Car turned out to be the most qualified candidate in terms of expertise, experience and other professional references. Car, who holds a PhD in history, has been so far mostly active in the IT field.

book cover cook eat slovenia.jpg

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

 

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 26 November 2020
26 Nov 2020, 04:18 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 26 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia sees new spike in coronavirus cases, more fatalities

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily coronavirus case count rose to 2,226 on Tuesday on a day of the week that typically sees the highest number of new cases. This was as 43 more Covid-19 patients died, bringing the overall death toll to 1,199. Data released by the government show the latest cases were from 8,063 coronavirus tests, the highest number yet, which puts the test positivity rate at 27.61%. The daily increase in confirmed cases is the third highest on record, equalling that registered on the Tuesday two weeks ago but the positivity rate at the time was 30%. Hospitalisations at Covid-19 units dropped by two to 1,297, after 113 patients were discharged yesterday, as the number of patients in intensive care also dropped by two to 202.

Rapid testing of care home staff to be decreed shortly

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry will decree rapid antigen testing of everyone working at care homes as soon as possible, announced Mateja Ribič, a state secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. She said all key details of such testing in care homes had been agreed at Tuesday's meeting between the two ministries. The idea was to screen staff as well as volunteers, retired staff and students helping out at aged care facilities. However, the details will be determined in the decree to be issued by the Health Ministry.

cork bags slovenia gifts.jpg

PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

EU Parliament discusses claims of Hungary's interference in Slovenian media

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament debated allegations that Hungary has been interfering in media in Slovenia and North Macedonia. Four Slovenian MEPs presented their views on the matter, with S&D and Renew members claiming that Hungarian media with close links to the government influencing Slovenian media was dangerous, and EPP MEPs dismissing the claims. Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) expressed concern that Hungary's political leadership is interfering in the Slovenian media and democratic processes. Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) said that "the issue has been raised solely to interfere in internal affairs and discredit the Slovenian government".

Eight carriers get subsidies to fly to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Eight airlines - Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air, Air Serbia, Montenegro Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Wizzair and LOT - will receive state subsidies to operate flights to Slovenia. The first instalment of the incentive is worth EUR 985,320, the Economy Ministry said. Lufthansa will be the biggest beneficiary with EUR 371,040, followed by Air France (EUR 176,160) and Turkish Airlines (EUR 148,530). The remaining five will get under EUR 100,000 each, with Swiss Air eligible for the lowest amount, EUR 22,050.

Slovenia highlights efforts to end violence against women

LJUBLJANA - On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Slovenia called for ending violence against women, with Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina saying that raising awareness about such efforts is key, noting that Covid-19 has led to a rise in domestic violence. President Borut Pahor also issued a statement on the occasion, saying violence against women was unfortunately still widely present and affected children as indirect or direct victims as well. The ZSSS trade union warned that workplace violence was also an issue of concern during the epidemic.

New agreement signed on army-police cooperation in border protection

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces and the police signed on Wednesday a document on cooperation between the army and police in protecting the border. The operative-tactical plan signed by the Chief of the General Staff, Brigadier General Robert Glavaš and acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič, outlines the tasks of police officers and soldiers in protecting the border and preventing illegal migration. A similar plan was adopted in 2015, allowing the two institutions to cooperate in protecting the border.

Pahor reportedly thinking of granting clemency to sickly old prisoners

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Dnevnik reported that President Borut Pahor is thinking of granting clemency to sickly old prisoners on the occasion of the upcoming 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence. Pahor has already contacted Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič about this, as it is the justice minister who initiates the clemency procedure. While the president feels the upcoming anniversary is an excellent opportunity for this, Kozlovič, who does not oppose the proposal in principle, warns that several of the sickly old prisoners are serving long sentences for violent crimes.

NGOs, civil society launch campaign against hydro plants on the Sava

LJUBLJANA - Nine NGOs, movements and civil initiatives have formed a group called Za Savo (For the Sava) to fight the planned construction of between nine and 12 hydro power hydro power plants on the central part of the Slovenian section of the Sava river. "We will not accept the starting point that the hydro power plants will be built. Our staring point is - no to the hydro power plants," Uroš Marcel from NGo Eko Krog said. The Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry responded by saying that replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy sources was the goal pursued not only by Slovenia but also Europe and the world.

Employment Service to pay out EUR 323m in coronacrisis aid by December

LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service will have paid out a total of EUR 323.2 million in support by the end of November. The bulk of the payments, accounting EUR 303.5 million, are state subsidies for furloughed workers, followed by subsidies for short time work, which have amounted to EUR 18.2 million, the Employment Service said. By 24 November, the service received over 130,000 requests by employers for roughly 600,000 employees, with employers sometimes filing several request, including for the same employees.

Slovenia expects EU guidelines on ski season

LJUBLJANA - The government has not yet taken a position regarding Italy's appeal to close ski centres around Europe during the December holidays, the Economy Ministry said. "The government has not discussed this issue or taken a position. We also assume that the European Commission will give recommendations based on the epidemiological situation and recommendations by medical experts, which will be forwarded to all EU members."

Tissue maker Paloma getting new director

SLADKI VRH - Tissue maker Paloma is to get a new CEO in Lukaš Keyzlar with the start of 2021 after Jaroslav Fic stepped down for personal reasons at the start of November. Paloma also has two more new management board members in Robert Kasanicky and Jernej Tovšak. The Sladki Vrh-based company, which was sold to the Slovakian and Czech financial fund Eco Investment in 2016 and has been part of the Slovakian paper group SHP, said Keyzlar had years of experience with the production of cellulose and paper. The only management member persisting since the arrival of the new owners is Stevan Lomić, an entrepreneur from Vienna, who executed a major investment into a new production line.

Tourism in Slovenia suffers huge blow in October

LJUBLJANA - Tourism facilities in Slovenia recorded slightly more than 173,000 tourist arrivals in October, down 63% year-on-year, which is mostly attributed to the coronavirus epidemic and more specifically, the government locking down tourism facilities as of 24 October. While the number of Slovenian guests increased by 2% to almost 134,000, the number of foreign tourists plunged by 88% to around 40,000, the Statistics Office said.

Bird flu confirmed in second swan found in Piran

LJUBLJANA - A second swan found dead in the Piran municipality on the Slovenian coast was found to have been infected with the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu, the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection said. The carcass was found close to where the first dead swan was picked up on Monday.

book cover cook eat slovenia.jpg

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

 

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
25 Nov 2020, 03:49 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 25 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Record 59 Covid-19 patients died in Slovenia on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a record 59 fatalities among patients with Covid-19 on Monday, which takes the death toll from the disease to 1,156. Another 1,302 coronavirus cases were confirmed, while 1,299 patients are still being treated in hospitals, including 204 in intensive care. Fresh data from the government show that 5,596 coronavirus tests were performed on Monday, which means 23.27% of the tests came back positive, down from almost 27% the day before and almost 30% on Saturday. Bojana Beović, the head of the government's coronavirus task force, announced that the group will propose the extension of existing restrictions this week since the situation does not yet warrant a relaxation of the measures.

Stimulus package No. 6 amended and okayed for plenary

LJUBLJANA - The sixth stimulus package, which extends or reactivates aid measures and introduces several new instruments, was cleared for the plenary after the Finance Committee added significant amendments. The latest package, valued at around EUR 1 billion, is meant to alleviate the impact of the coronacrisis on businesses and residents, extending once more the furlough scheme, measures to help liquidity and introducing, as a key novelty, help with fixed expenses. Part time work subsidies will also be continued, but it was said that this would be secured through a government decree and not with the new package.

book cover cook eat slovenia.jpg

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

Govt preparing new stimulus package, businesses call for rapid tests as way to reopen economy

LJUBLJANA - While the sixth anti-coronavirus legislative package is being debated in parliament, the government is already planning a next package which looks to address issues brought by the new lockdown. Particular attention is to be paid to the sectors which have suffered the biggest losses in turnover this year and to vulnerable social groups. The Slovenian Business Club called for a widespread testing by means of rapid tests and prompt preparation of testing protocols in order to detect as many coronavirus infections as possible, contain their spread, and allow the economy to reopen.

Logar talks EU presidency challenges, rule of law at Berlin Forum

BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Anže Logar addressed participants of the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum to highlight the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of next year and stress the importance of solidarity among EU member states. Logar said that solidarity among EU members also meant the search for a comprise acceptable for everybody. He argued that traditional democracies had a different view of the rule of law compared to countries that emerged from under repressive regimes 30 years ago, that the different perception angles needed to be accepted and that the goals were shared.

Complaint filed against Left MP over confidential information

LJUBLJANA - The chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Branko Grims of the ruling Democrats (SDS), filed a criminal complaint against opposition Left MP Miha Kordiš over his statements regarding the 5 November riots in Ljubljana after a session of the parliamentary body held behind closed doors due to sensitive classified information. Kordiš, the only MP to give a press statement on 13 November, responded by saying that Grims was using "fairy tales" to divert attention from problems faced by the country.

Opposition objects to Hungary's involvement in rail project

LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties jointly urged against government plans to involve Hungary in the construction of the new rail track to the port of Koper. Saying they want to "stop this madness", they argued the government was dismantling a completed financial plan, delaying the project, and making it more expensive. "The financial plan for the second rail was already closed in the budget adopted by the previous government and it remained closed in the budget the new coalition adopted last week," SAB's Alenka Bratušek, the former infrastructure minister, said.

MPs endorse police response to violent Ljubljana protest

LJUBLJANA - After four sessions dedicated to the matter, the coalition majority on the Home Affairs Committee established that the police acted suitably, professionally and efficiently in response to the 5 November protest in Ljubljana which turned into a riot. The opposition raised protest, with Jani Möderndorfer of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) saying such a conclusion could only be made by experts, not MPs. There were also calls for an inquiry into the use of coercive measures, but a police official said the threshold for triggering an inquiry had not been reached.

Five bids for Constitutional Court judge in Pahor's new call

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has received five bids in what is a third call for applications for one vacancy on the Constitutional Court. The applicants include Andraž Teršek, candidate who failed to get appointed in the National Assembly in June after the first call, as well as Rok Svetlič, the head of the Law Institute at the Koper Science and Research Centre, and Marko Starman of the Nova Gorica-based European Faculty of Law, both of whom had applied previously but were not nominated by Pahor. Pahor will consult parliamentary factions on the nominees in the second week of December.

Condemnation as public health chief harassed by prominent anti-masker

LJUBLJANA - The director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Milan Krek was harassed by the rapper Zlatko, a prominent anti-masker, on the street on Monday, drawing sharp condemnation. The event "constitutes an attack on an independent, professional public health institution, which is unprecedented," the NIJZ said. "It is outrageous that something like this happens in a democratic country such as Slovenia," Krek said in a separate statement. The incident also drew criticism from the Medical Chamber, which said it rejected "any intolerant communication and actions against health workers".

Top court admits case of late collaborationist general Rupnik

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has admitted what is one of three challenges of the Supreme Court's January quashing of the 1946 death sentence for collaborationist general Leon Rupnik. The court suspended the renewed criminal proceedings against Rupnik, arguing their potential termination would absolve Rupnik of his guilt.

Business sentiment deteriorates further in November

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia deteriorated further in November as additional Covid-19 lockdown measures kicked in, with the relevant indicator dropping to -13.8 percentage points, or 6.8 points lower than in October and 16 points lower year-on-year. All sub-indicators were down on the monthly basis in November, in particular those measuring confidence in the services sector (-4 points) and confidence among consumers (-1.1 points).

Project to revitalise habitats along Mura gets financial boost

LJUBLJANA - The ongoing project to revitalise wetland habitats along the Mura river is to get EUR 2.3 million in EU cohesion funds, with the co-financing contract signed by Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak seen as a contribution in preserving natural resources and biodiversity in Slovenia. The Natura Mura project, which started in August, aims at improving the state of three habitat types and 12 qualified species along the river running through north-eastern Slovenia.

Avian flu confirmed in swan found in Piran

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has confirmed a case of avian influenza in a dead swan found in the coastal municipality of Piran. The Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection said the strain of the virus confirmed was not dangerous to humans. The administration was notified of the case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu in the sample from the swan by the National Veterinary Institute on Monday.

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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 24 November 2020
24 Nov 2020, 03:40 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia sees 45 more Covid-19 deaths, 470 new cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's death toll among patients with Covid-19 rose to 1,097 after 45 more deaths were reported for Sunday, as 470 new coronavirus cases were recorded on a test positivity rate of 27%. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 48 from the day before to 1,292 and the number ICU patients increased by three to 201 after 29 patients were discharged. Commenting on the trends, government spokesman for coronavirus Jelko Kacin said the Sunday figures were atypical but the country was "swinging at a peak". Much like in the first wave of the epidemic, nursing homes have emerged as major hotspots, with roughly one in five new daily cases being residents or staff at nursing homes. The national Covid-19 tracker site shows there are currently 20,123 active infections in the country.

Hospitals using rapid antigen tests among staff

LJUBLJANA - As mandatory testing of health staff came into force, hospitals across the country reported having started or intensified rapid antigen testing for Covid-19 to screen staff as a way to prepare for regular weekly testing. The country's central medical centre, UKC Ljubljana, was conducting a round of tests at its gynaecology department first, checking for antibodies as well. It plans to perform some 10,000 a week as additional support for PCR tests. The new measure is being phased in to give health institutions enough time to buy tests and adopt testing protocols.

Almost 55% disapprove of govt job in POP TV poll

LJUBLJANA - More than 60% of those questioned in a poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV supported government coronavirus measures, however nearly 55% said they did not support the government's work. The proportion of those disapproving rose by a further 1.3 percentage points from October to 54.7% as the share of supporters also rose by 3.2 points to 36.3%. The ruling Democrats (SDS) remained in the lead at 16.5%, while the junior coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) made the biggest gain, adding 2.2 points to 3.9%, as it prepares for a change of leadership.

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Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

Watchdog to open preliminary procedure into Hojs's land purchase

LJUBLJANA - The corruption watchdog will open a preliminary procedure to establish whether there could be any corruption risks or breaches of the integrity law when Interior Minister Aleš Hojs bought a piece of land on the Slovenian coast in July. The newspaper Delo reported there is suspicion the price was not a result of the market situation but of Hojs's having certain political acquaintances. Based on the findings of the preliminary procedure, the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption will decide whether to introduce or not a further procedure. In September, the weekly Mladina reported that a few years ago the Koper municipality had decided to sell a large building plot before servicing it with a road and a sewage system, for which reason it was sold at a much lower price.

Both candidates for DeSUS head say party must overcome divisions

LJUBLJANA - Karl Erjavec, who headed the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) for 15 years before losing to Aleksandra Pivec in an election congress in January, presented his vision for the party in a written address to congress delegates. Both he and his only rival, Srečko Felix Krope, called for unity and revival of the party. Erjavec, who withdrew from politics after losing to Pivec, admitted he had made some mistakes during his term at the helm of the party but said he was confident DeSUS could be consolidated again.

Damijan says KUL still seven votes short of parliamentary majority

LJUBLJANA - Ending speculations that votes for a change in power have already been secured, the leader of KUL, Jože P. Damijan, told a media event organised by KUL that the newly formed coalition of four left-leaning opposition parties was waiting to secure seven more votes in parliament before filing a motion of no-confidence in the government. Damijan, an economist who has offered himself as a PM candidate, said the blame would lie with those not willing to change sides if the effort failed. He indicated he hoped for a change of momentum after the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) gets a new president on 5 December.

Hospitals allowed to use Bellavista ventilators

LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices has approved the use of 46 Swiss-made Bellavista ventilators for Covid-19 patients, which were purchased during the first wave of the epidemic in spring but could not be used due to missing certificates. The ventilators were bought by the Agency for Commodity Reserves but since they had been originally intended for the Chinese market, they did not have all the certificates, including the mandatory CE certification. The requisite certificates have now been secured and the agency have cleared them for use in hospitals with a decision dated 18 November.

Consumer Association opposes motor vehicle tax cut

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Consumer Association voiced opposition to government plans to cut motor vehicle tax, arguing that this would make it more difficult to entice consumers to buy more environmentally friendly cars or improve the use of public transportation. Under government plans, proceeds from the motor vehicle tax would decline by 65%, which money the association says should be used to boost the badly underdeveloped public transportation, not to promote the buying of new cars.

Universal basic income enjoys almost 50% support

LJUBLJANA - As many as 48% of respondents in a Valicon survey support the introduction of universal basic income (UBI) in Slovenia, as opposed to 14% who oppose it. The rest are either undecided (21%) or think they are not informed well enough (20%). Taking into consideration the respondents' political preferences, supporters of left-leaning parties are generally more in favour of UBI than of other parties. The Left's supporters lead with way with 65%. The online survey was conducted in mid-October among 2,460 respondents aged between 18 and 75.

More Slovenians on antidepressants in first half of 2020

LJUBLJANA - In the first half of 2020, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) recorded a rise in the number of antidepressant prescriptions issued and the number of persons who received at least one prescription for antidepressant between March and May. While it says on its website that the epidemic likely had an impact on mental health of individuals, it adds that the rise in antidepressants is open to more than one interpretation.

Slovenia remembers WWI general

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observed Rudolf Maister Day, a public holiday in memory of the general who established the first Slovenian army in modern history and secured what would became Slovenia's northern border. The holiday marks the day in 1918 when Maister (1874-1934) took control of Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, a move that Lučka Lazarev Šerbec, the chair of the union bringing together associations dedicated to nurturing historical memory of the general, said showed he had "a clear vision in a fateful moment". President Borut Pahor added national holidays celebrate national identity, and appealed on the people to nurture standpoints which unite the nation, not those that are divisive.

Slovenian Book Fair moves online

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Book Fair opened today, for the first time as an online event. The week-long celebration of books features a virtual fair showcasing 97 publishers and more than 100 online events. Spain is the guest of honour and Novo Mesto is the city in the spotlight. The the country's main book event, held for the 36th year, opened with a literary event whose keynote was delivered by Niko Grafenauer, a poet celebrating his 80th birthday.

Climbing: Jernej Kruder claims European bouldering title

MOSCOW, Russia - Slovenian sports climber Jernej Kruder became the new European bouldering champion in Moscow, claiming the first ever European title for Slovenian men's climbing. Kruder, who will turn 30 on 5 December, so far had a silver medal from the 2014 World Championship and the overall Bouldering World Cup win in 2018 to show for himself. He won the World Cup event in Moscow last year and sealed the title today before even attempting the final boulder problem. This is already the 24th medal for Slovenia at European Championships, with Slovenian climbers grabbing at least one medal at ten consecutive championships ever since 2002.

Drug smuggler gets five years behind bars

KRANJ - The Kranj District Court sentenced to five years in prison a member of a ring that is believed to have smuggled around 50 kilos of heroin and undetermined amounts of cocaine and cannabis from Ljubljana to Austria's Klagenfurt a few years ago. While two members of the ring, Saša Gavrić and Saša Stojnić, confessed to the crime in Slovenia in 2016 and got four and three years in prison, respectively, 33-year-old Dalibor Pejić had been on the run for a few years until last December's arrest. The drug trafficking ring was busted in 2015, when nine suspects were processed in Slovenia and around 40 in Austria. Two were sentenced to prison in Austria.

Man lived with corpse for years, collected pension

LJUBLJANA - A 67-year-old man from Ljubljana has been charged with multiple counts of crime after police discovered he had been hiding the corpse of a relative for several years and collected her pension. While the police would not specify, several media reports suggest the man lived with the corpse of his mother, who would have been 97 now, and prevented other relatives from having any contact with the argument that she did not wish to see them.

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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 23 November 2020
23 Nov 2020, 04:05 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 23 November 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Over 1,000 new coronavirus cases as nearly 30% tests positive

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,024 new coronavirus cases for Saturday as the test positivity rate reached almost 30%. Another 26 patients with Covid-19 died, bringing the overall death toll to 1,052, data from the government show. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by 25 from the day before to 1,244 as the number of those requiring intensive treatment increased by one to 198. Prime Minister Janez Janša was briefed on the situation on the ground as he visited the general hospital in Murska Sobota and the Maribor UKC medical centre on Saturday.

Govt supports transformation of European Research Area

LJUBLJANA - The government supported the European Commission's vision of the future development of a European area for research and innovation, saying in a position adopted earlier this week that an upgrade would better contribute to the transformation and efficiency of a sustainable development model and to green and digital transition. The European Commission presented its plan for a new European Research Area for research and innovation on 30 September.

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Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

Esteemed Maribor auxiliary bishop dies

MARIBOR - Jožef Smej, a retired Maribor auxiliary bishop who had been honoured by Slovenia and Hungary for his literary and translation work, died on Saturday at the age of 98, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference announced. Hailing from Bogojina in the north-easternmost of the country, Smej served as auxiliary bishop from 1983 to his retirement in 2009, but he was also known for his work as a poet, writer, translator, researcher and church historian.

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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: 22 November 2020
22 Nov 2020, 04:36 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: 22 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Border crossing restrictions relaxed, Canada red-listed

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to relax border crossing restrictions for people living near the border. As of Monday, they will be able to cross into a neighbouring country without having to quarantine upon return to go to a store or to use another service if it is closer to their home than the nearest in Slovenia. Such trips abroad to red-listed countries will be limited to two hours. At the same time, Slovenia will allow the same exception to citizens and residents of neighbouring countries seeking services in Slovenia. The government also expanded the list of red countries with Canada and several administrative units across Europe.

Curfew, gatherings ban extended

LJUBLJANA - The government extended by another seven days coronavirus restrictions related to gatherings and movement of people as it conducted its periodic review of the measures. This means that the complete ban on all gatherings and the 9pm-6am curfew will remain in place, the government said after a correspondence session on Saturday, adding that the decision is based on the assessment of its Covid-19 task force. The curfew has been in place since 19 October and the gatherings ban since 13 November, gatherings having already been severely restricted before.

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Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll exceeds 1,000

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia' death toll from the Covid-19 epidemic exceeded 1,000 after 31 deaths were reported for Friday. A total of 1,690 cases were confirmed in 6,580 tests, the government announced on Twitter. As the number of new cases remained below the 2,000-plus, the situation in hospitals appeared to be stabilising. There were 1,219 people in hospital after 129 were discharged, down from 1,254 the day before, of which 197 in intensive care, four fewer. Positivity rate dropped continues to drop yesterday, reaching 25.68%.

Slovenia starts gearing up for mass testing

LJUBLJANA - Government departments in Slovenia have been instructed to prepare a mass testing of the population for coronavirus by 5 December and the registration of candidates for voluntary vaccination, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced on Twitter Friday night. Janša said the decision was made based on the state of the epidemic and consultation at EU level. Slovakia was the first country in Europe to mass test its population in early November using rapid tests. Two-thirds of the population were tested and one percent tested positive. A new round of testing is scheduled for 2 December.

NSi will continue to look for cooperation possibilities, Tonin says

LJUBLJANA - Matej Tonin, the head of New Slovenia (NSi) and the only candidate for the job at the election congress that started on Saturday, said in his address to the event that he would continue to look for cooperation possibilities. He also said that "any coalition bow can snap if pulled too tight". He also advised the opposition to cooperate, adding that attempts by the Coalition of Constitutional Arch (KUL) to bring down the government "were not cool at all" while the country faces one of the greatest challenges since gaining independence. The congress was suspended until Thursday, when election results will be announced.

Railways operator takes over first new passenger trains

LJUBLJANA - Railways operator Slovenske Železnice has officially taken over the first five Stadler trains, marking the start of a highly awaited modernisation of passenger transport. The diesel trains will be put to use on the links between Ljubljana and Kočevje, Novo Mesto and Kamnik once passenger transport is relaunched. Slovenske Železnice said it also expected to start gradually incorporating into traffic electric trains, which are also a part of the multi-million order to Stadler. The operator expects that all of the 52 trains ordered will be in use by the end of 2022. Slovenia has order 21 single-deck and 10 double-deck electric trains and 21 single-deck diesel trains.

Apples wins LIFFe Kingfisher Award

LJUBLJANA - The winner of this year's Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe) is Apples, a Greek-Polish-Slovenian co-production directed by Christos Nikou. The Best Short Film Award went to Portuguese-French co-production Invisible Hero by Cristele Alves Meira and the FIPRESCI Award given out by the international jury of the International Federation of Film Critics went to Exile, a co-production of Kosovo, German and Belgium, by Visar Morina. The Art Kino Network Award went to Italian-French co-production Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello.

Goran Dragić announces he is staying with Miami Heat

LJUBLJANA/MIAMI, US - Goran Dragić, one of the only two Slovenian players in the National Basketball Association (NBA), has announced that he is staying with the Miami Heat, reportedly for another two years. "I'm glad that I can announce that I'm staying with my Miami Heat. Let's finish the job we started!" he said on Twitter. With his five-year, US$90 million contract with the Miami Heat having expired, the 34-year-old from Ljubljana became a free agent at midnight, but only for a few moments.

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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 21 November 2020
21 Nov 2020, 04:20 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 21 November 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

PM willing to offer ideas for compromise on recovery package

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for a compromise on the EU's recovery package that will match the agreement EU leaders reached in July, as the EU Council debated on Thursday the blockade of the recovery package by Hungary and Poland. Janša said that in rule of law conditionality, "the final judgement must always be from the EU Court, otherwise this would be a political decision, which is not in line with rule of law principles," his office said after the meeting. It said Slovenia was willing to offer "concrete ideas" as a compromise is sought and noted that Council president Charles Michel had stressed an agreement involving all member states was needed.

Bill on EUR 780m defence investments passed

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed a bill which earmarks EUR 780 million in additional defence spending in a six-year period between 2021 and 2026. The bulk of the money will be spent on purchasing armoured personnel vehicles and setting up a medium infantry battalion group, while an aircraft and two helicopters are also to be bought. Defence Minster Matej Tonin and President Borut Pahor, the supreme commander, welcomed the passage of the investment package, while the opposition Left said it would start collecting signatures for a referendum. The Ministry of Defence said the act could not be challenged in a referendum.

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Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best  for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

Daily coronavirus case count and positivity rate drop

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily coronavirus case count dropped to 1,546 on Thursday from over 2,000 recorded on the previous two days, as the test positivity rate dropped slightly, fresh data from the government show. With another 31 fatalities, the Covid-19 death toll rose to 995. A total of 5,673 tests for Sars-CoV-2 were performed on Thursday, which means 27.25% of the tests came back positive, three percentage points down from the day before. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by 16 to 1,254 but the number of those requiring intensive care dropped by four to 201, as 68 patients were discharged home yesterday.

Schools reopening priority, Janša says in televised interview

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša assessed the government opted for remote schooling too late into the second wave of coronavirus, but he also told TV Slovenija in an interview aired last night that reopening schools and kindergartens would be a priority now, but classes would have to be held under stringent conditions. He repeated his view that the government had prepared well for the second wave, including by expanding hospital capacities and securing enough personal protective equipment. He concurred though that it was always possible to respond sooner and better.

Logar strengthening ties with Brazilian counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar spoke with his Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo via video call, reaffirming the traditionally good relations between Slovenia and Brazil, the Foreign Ministry said. Brazil is one of Slovenia's key political and economic partners in Latin America and the only country from the region to have a residential embassy in Ljubljana, it added. Logar and Araujo confirmed that the two countries have developed successful bilateral cooperation in the last 28 years, but both sides agree there is still a lot of potential for further strengthening of ties. They particularly noted the interest in the strengthening of political dialogue and business cooperation.

EU court ruling on ECB archives case to be delivered in mid-December

LJUBLJANA/LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The European Court of Justice will deliver a ruling on the European Central Bank (ECB) archives case on 17 December, the court's online judicial calendar shows. The lawsuit was brought against Slovenia by the European Commission over a 2016 police search of the ECB archives at Slovenia's central bank. The court's decision will set a precedent spelling out the privileges and immunities of EU institutions and explaining in which cases the inviolability of EU archives applies.

Centre-left opposition decries govt communication, epidemic efforts

LJUBLJANA - The leaders of centre-left opposition parties voiced sharp criticism about the government's communication strategy in a group interview for TV Slovenija, arguing that this is hampering efforts to fight the epidemic. All restrictive measures are for nothing if they are wrongly communicated, LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec said, urging the government to replace coronavirus spokesman Jelko Kacin and the head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Milan Krek. Tanja Fajon, the leader of the Social Democrats (SD), accused Janša of trying to shift the blame for the epidemiological situation instead of providing calming communication.

Slovenia's chief epidemiologist with mixed views about current measures

LJUBLJANA - Mario Fafangel, Slovenia's chief epidemiologist, expressed mixed feelings about the current measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in an interview for the weekly Mladina. He singled out mandatory masks outdoors and ban on movement between municipalities as having questionable utility, but warned that overall, the measures must be relaxed gradually. The chair of the Centre for Communicable Diseases at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said it was "very difficult to take a position on which measures may be excessive" since there is no room for error at this point.

SocDems seek expansion of latest stimulus package, unions threaten referendum over minimum wage

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) presented a list of measures they believe should be included in the sixth stimulus package, to be discussed in parliament next week, including those to improve company liquidity. Milan Cvikl, the head of the SD expert council on finance, a sort of shadow finance minister, argued that companies had exhausted their reserves, so there was no time to wait for amendments to the current measures or for new stimulus packages. Meanwhile, trade unions threatened a referendum should parliament freeze the minimum wage.

Authorities say public increasingly abiding by restrictions

LJUBLJANA - The health and police authorities find that members of the public are increasingly sticking to coronavirus restrictions with the number of fines issued down last week compared to the couple of weeks earlier. Inspectors issued 104 fines totalling EUR 56,400, plus 263 warnings and 120 administrative measures between 9 and 15 November in 2,578 checks related to coronavirus measures. One of the issues that remain is punters lingering when picking up food or drinks.

Slovenia losing US$ 213.9m in tax revenue a year to tax abuse

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia loses US$213.9 million in tax revenue a year because of tax abuse, an international study by the Tax Justice Network, Public Services International and Global Alliance for Tax Justice.showed. The 2020 report assessed that multinational companies account for US$973 million (EUR 822 million), causing a direct loss of revenue in the amount of US$97 million according to data obtained by the OECD, while rich individuals contribute US$117 million (EUR 99 million) to the loss. In Slovenia, the money lost due to tax abuse equals the annual pay of 4,848 nurses, and on the global level it equals 34 million annual nurses' wages.

National tourism holding plans hit financial snag

LJUBLJANA - Plans for the creation of a national state-owned tourism holding appear to have hit a snag since epidemic-related outlays have crowded out budget funds needed for a key portion of the plan - the purchase of a 43% stake in tourism company Sava, Delo reported. The paper received confirmation from the Finance Ministry that the budget for next year does not include funds - roughly EUR 40 million - needed to buy the Sava stake held by the private equity fund York. Sava, which owns hotels and spas around the country, was a linchpin of Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek's plan, in the making for several years, to pool together tourism assets and create a national holding that would have sufficient capital to undertake much needed investments.

Petrol group profit halved in Jan-Sept y/y

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol saw its revenue drop by 30% year-on-year in the first nine months of the year to EUR 2.29 billion. Its net profit was at EUR 40.5 million, a 49% drop compared to the same period in 2019, the core company said in a press release following a supervisory board meeting. The group's adjusted gross profit for the first nine months stood at EUR 301.9 million, a drop of 13% year-on-year. The drop in performance is attributed to "a drop in petroleum product sales resulting from movement restrictions introduced by governments to contain the pandemic and from the economic downturn the pandemic had caused".

Insurer Sava Re reports 26% higher Jan-Sep profit

LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava Re, Slovenia's second largest, reported a net profit of EUR 47.6 million for the nine months to the end of September, an increase of 26.4% year-on-year, as gross premiums written rose by 12.4% to EUR 527.1 million. The unaudited financial report, filed with the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, shows the group's operating revenue rising by 16.4% year-on-year to EUR 489.5 million. The growth in profit, operating revenue and gross premiums is attributed in great part to the acquisition of life insurer Vita, consolidated in the group accounts as of 31 May 2020. The acquisition contributed EUR 9.9 million to the increase in profit, and without this effect group net profit would have broadly been at the same level as in the same period last year.

Law passed to protect privacy in criminal procedures

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed unanimously a bill regulating the processing and protection of personal data in procedures before law enforcement authorities, transposing the relevant EU directive into the national law. The directive on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties should have been implemented in Slovenian legislation by May 2018. The law mainly concerns the police, state prosecution, correction facilities and to an extent criminal justice.

Motion to ban fracking voted down, ministry announcing systemic solution

LJUBLJANA - A renewed attempt by the opposition to ban the extraction of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing in Slovenia, was rejected in a 39:40 vote in parliament. While some coalition members agree with a ban, they want to wait for what was described as comprehensive solution being drawn up by the Infrastructure Ministry. Thursday's discussion saw the Left's Nataša Sukič highlight the dispute with British company Ascent Resources, which she said has been pushing to introduce fracking at the Petišovci gas field in the north-east of Slovenia for decades.

Energy companies planning EUR 2.5bn investment in seven years

LJUBLJANA - Energy companies in Slovenia plan at least EUR 2.5 billion in investments in the 2021-2027 EU multiyear budget, according to a survey by the Energy Chamber, which also shows that EUR 937 million worth are planned in the next four years. The investments planned are to be in line with the EU's Green Deal, focusing on environmentally friendly energy sources. Just under EUR 1.5 billion investments are planned in east Slovenia and just over EUR 1 billion in west Slovenia.

Police bust migrant smuggling ring

LJUBLJANA - The police have arrested seven and filed criminal complaints against 12 persons in total following an 18-month long investigation of a suspected international migrant smuggling ring which is also believed to have involved Slovenian citizens in charge of security at Ljubljana's Asylum Home. The Ljubljana Criminal Police Department said it had completed after 18 months an investigation of a criminal ring that enabled foreigners at Ljubljana's asylum centre transfers to other European countries. Seven persons were arrested as house searches were conducted on Wednesday.

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Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 20 November 2020
20 Nov 2020, 04:00 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 20 November 2020

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Over 2,000 new coronavirus cases logged again, 45 fatalities

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day running as a further 45 patients with Covid-19 died, bringing the death toll to 964. According to government spokesman Jelko Kacin, 2,064 of the 6,806 Sars-CoV-2 tests performed on Wednesday came back positive, which means as many as 30.33%, up almost four percentage points from the day before. While officials are "deeply worried, in particular doctors and other health personnel", Kacin said the situation in hospitals improved slightly; 1,238 patients with Covid-19 were being treated in hospitals yesterday, 42 fewer than the day before.

Budgets for 2021-2022 passed, bringing record expenditure and investments

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed late on Wednesday the budgets for 2021 and 2022, which bring expenditure of EUR 13.5 billion and EUR 12.6 billion, respectively, and record investments amid the coronavirus pandemic. The opposition expressed concern over how increasing expenditure would be financed and the debt, raised to fund stimulus measures, repaid even if the deficit is to fall gradually. Around EUR 2 billion will be spent on investment in 2021 and in 2022, with Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj stressing "Slovenia has never before invested that much".

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No non-essential shops, cultural events for another week

LJUBLJANA - The government extended by seven days the closure of shops selling non-essential goods and the ban on cultural events, Covid-19 spokesman Jelko Kacin said. It also suspended the deadlines in court procedures, Kacin explained. The decision is based on the law on courts, which says the deadlines are suspended if courts cannot work due to an emergency. The suspension can last up to three months. The decision on the extension of other major measures, such as the night curfew or the movement between municipalities, is expected on Friday.

Logar says transatlantic relations should be strengthened

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar stressed the importance of strengthening transatlantic relations across the board as he attended a session of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council. He said cooperation needed to be strengthened in areas including security, critical infrastructure and addressing hybrid and cybernetic threats. The Foreign Ministry said many ministers, Logar included, agreed that effective multilateralism was still the best way to address global challenges, assessing that the EU has the political, economic and financial power to co-shape the multilateral order.

Speaker argues for efficient return of migrants ineligible for asylum

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič argued for an efficient return of migrants not eligible for asylum and for tackling the causes of illegal migration as he addressed a virtual high-level inter-parliamentary conference on migration and asylum in Europe. The conference was organised by the European Parliament and the parliaments of the Trio Presidency comprising Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. Along with Zorčič, several other members of the National Assembly took part.

Motor vehicles tax to be reduced

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a reform bill on motor vehicles tax as a result of which most car and motorbike buyers will pay less tax. The levy will depend mostly on emissions, while plug-in vehicles will not be taxed. Calculations from the Finance Ministry show the tax burden on buyers will be reduced by more than 65% on average. "It means lower tax on cars and motorbikes for most models," Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said. The bill also scraps an extra levy introduced in 2021 on luxury vehicles, that is those with an engine capacity of more than 2.5 litres, so that single tax will apply to all vehicles.

Employer club calls against further lockdown of businesses

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Business Club (SBC) urged steps to make it easier for businesses to continue to operate arguing the government must not tighten the lockdown any further. It also criticised the "excessive bureaucratic measures" in shops, where certain goods cannot be purchased while being on shelves, and the restrictions for hairdressers and beauty parlours, which it believes encourages undeclared work. The club believes that the regime on the borders is "nonsensical" as a relatively low number of infections has been imported from the non-EU countries.

Fearing collapse, meetings industry urges state aid

LJUBLJANA - Events organisers urged the government to provide state aid for the Slovenian meetings industry, which employs some 15,000 workers and generates almost EUR 900 million in revenue. In the opposite case, the meetings industry, at a standstill since the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic in March, could collapse. The meetings industry has drafted several proposals to be included into state aid packages, but its representatives said the government only heeded their calls with the sixth package, which is now in parliamentary procedure.

Travel and hospitality services hit worst in first Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - The services sector has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 epidemic. In Slovenia, the biggest monthly drop in services income was recorded in April, a 18.4% decrease. Pub, restaurant or cafe owners and travel agencies were hit worst in the months following the first epidemic declaration, a Statistics Office study showed. Following the April drop, income figures were rising for three consecutive months and in July they were higher by 6.6% on June. However, services income dropped again in August, this time by 2% on the month before.

Krka sees 6% nine-month revenue rise, net profit up by 22%

LJUBLJANA - The group around the drug maker Krka generated EUR 1.16 billion in sales revenue in the first nine months of the year, which is 6% more than in the same period last year. Net profit was up by 22% to EUR 210.14 million. Sales were up the most in Eastern Europe, where the most revenue was generated. Operating profit jumped by 57% to EUR 300.75 million and EBITDA increased by 40% to EUR 384.6 million. Sales were up compared to the same period last year in all regional markets, except Turkmenistan, but the crucial growth was that in Russia, Krka's largest individual market.

Cinkarna Celje records 3% drop in nine-month revenue, net profit down 27%

CELJE - Chemicals company Cinkarna Celje generated EUR 130.4 million in sales revenue in the first nine months of this year, a 3% decrease year-on-year. Net profit fell by 27% to EUR 13.8 million. Sales of titanium dioxide pigment, Cinkarna Celje's flagship product, were up by 4.8% compared to the same period last year, but average selling prices were 4.6% below those in the comparable period in 2019, the company said.

Intereuropa profit, revenue drop due to pandemic

LJUBLJANA - The logistics group Intereuropa generated EUR 111.6 million in revenue in the nine ten months of the year, a 7% drop over the same period last year but still 6% above business plans. Profit dropped by 42% to EUR 2.4 million. The group said the performance drop was due to the coronavirus pandemic, which affected particularly the second quarter. While figures declined in all segments, the biggest drop was seen in land transport, where revenue dropped by 11% in the first three quarters year-on-year.

Accounting firm Unija expands in Croatia

LJUBLJANA - Unija, one of the biggest accounting service firms in Slovenia, said it hadmerged with Croatia's biggest accounting firm Data-Link. The merger is in line with its plan to become the most progressive and the best accounting service in its field in the region by 2022. The group now expects to increase its revenue by EUR 2 million to EUR 10 million a year and employs more than 250 people. The Croatian company has been renamed Data-Link Unija and has more than 80 employees.

PM endorses planned Ljubljana passenger terminal and rail upgrade

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša met with Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković on Wednesday to discuss the future of rail infrastructure in the country. Janša gave his support to the revived plans to upgrade the capital's rail infrastructure and set up a new bus and train terminal. "It is time to relaunch and implement the project," the prime minister said about the EUR 100m-plus project, which was stalled almost ten years ago due to the financial crisis but was listed among the 2020-2023 development investments strategy by the government in September.

Smrekar gets full term at helm of Statistics Office

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed acting director of the national Statistics Office Tomaž Smrekar for a full five-year term. He succeeds Bojan Nastav, who was appointed for a full term by the previous government in August 2019 and dismissed by the current government this May due to difficulties with the office's responsiveness as the government required certain data to prepare anti-coronavirus measures.

Total assets of 100 wealthiest Slovenian increase, Logins firmly on top

LJUBLJANA - The spouses Iza and Samo Login remain the wealthiest Slovenia, topping the list of the Manager magazine for the seventh year running. The Logins were the main founders of popular apps company Outfit7 that was sold to China's United Luck Group for US$1 billion in 2017. The total assets of the 100 wealthiest Slovenians amount to an estimated EUR 5.8 billion, EUR 147 million more than last year. The threshold for the list fell by 6% to EUR 20.9 million.

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